Gilgit (PT): Speaker Gilgit Baltistan Lagislative assembly Wazir Baig has said that religion should be separated from politics for harmony and development in the region.

“It is regrettable that every issue in Gilgit Baltistan is being seen by the spectacles of sects”, the GBLA speaker said while talking to the media today. “The governance package is not based on sectarian interests. It is like a constitution for us”, he added.

“If some one opposes the package[Empowerment Ordinance 2009] on the basis of sects he will get nothing but that attitude will result in hatred among the people of different sects”, he cautioned.

He emphasized that non-local judges should not be inducted in the judiciary and instead meritorious local judges should be appointed in the higher judiciary.

“If a local judge deserve on merit then she or he should be appointed as Chief Judge of Supreme Appellate Court”, he said while referring to a recent issue that raised after a lawyer filed an application seeking appointment of non-local judges in Gilgit – Baltistan.

He also lamented that appointments made in the near past in the Supreme Appellate Court were not on merit.

Answering a query Baig said that the judicial investigation report of Hunza tragedy would soon be made public and those responsible for the tragedy would be dealt in accordance with law.